Hen&#39;s nest.



NO- 7.86.531- PATENTED APR. 4, 1905. A.l L. STOUT.

HENS'NEST.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.30,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

` ZefAoZZZ Inventor.

Patented April 4, 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

ALBERT L. STOUT, OE JENKINS, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

HENS NEST.

SPECIFICATION 'Olmng part of LetterscPatent No. 786,531, dated April 4;, 1905.

Application filed April 30, 1904. Serial No. 205,773.

AT0 all whom, t 11i/my concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT L. STOUT, a citizen of the United States, residing at J enkins, in the county of I/Voods, Oklahoma Territory, have invented a new and useful Hens Nest, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates tov hens nests, and

`'has for its object to permit of the hens having convenient access to the nest and at the `same time to prevent the entrance of another hen when the nest is occupied.

It is furthermore designed to provide for automatically closing the nest by the entrance of a hen therein and to automatically open Jplhe entrance to the nest by the exit of the With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages ofthe invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hens nest embodying the features of the present invention. Eig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof when occupied by a hen. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the preferred form of the invention. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each and every 'figure of the drawings.

The frame of the present device comprises a bottom l, opposite upstanding longitudinal sides 2, which have vcorresponding upward extensions 3 at their rear end portions, a back 4l rising to the top of the extended portions, a rear top portion 5 upon the extensions of the sides, and a front top portion 6 in front vof the extensions. The inclosure formed by the upward extensions ofthe sides of the frame constitutes the nest-box, and the entrance thereto is afforded by the open upper -front portion of the box between the front and rear top portions 5 and 6 the front top portion 6 forming a convenient approach to the entrance-opening of the nest-box. A suitable cross-bar or ledge 7 is provided upon the bottom 1 beneath the front edges of the upstanding extensions of the sides of the frame to retain within the nest-box the mate rial of which the nest proper is formed. In one side of the nest-box there is an opening S to give access to the box for removing eggs therefrom and for any other purpose, there being a swinging closure or door 9 pivoted to the box above the opening, so as to maintain the latter normally closed. For closing the entrance-opening there is a verticallytiltable door 10, which is hinged or pivoted intermediate its top and bottom edges to the sides of the nest-box in any suitable manner-as, for instance, by means of a pintlerod 11, which passes through opposite sides of the box and also lthrough upstanding cleats l2 upon the outer side of the door. This pivotal support is located adjacent and above the lower edge of the door, so that when it is open with its upper edge lying upon the front top member 6 the weight of a hen upon the lower portion of the door at the inner sideof the pivotal support thereof will automatically tilt the door to its closed position, thereby preventing the entrance of another fowl when the nest is occupied. The open front end of the frame constitutes an exit, which'is normally closed by a slatted door consisting of a rock-bar or cross-bar 13, having its terminals reduced to form j curnals 14, which are mounted in suitable bearings 15-as, for instance, openings in the sides of the frame-there being suitable upright slats 16 secured to the bar and extending from the top to the bottom of the exit-opening. The lower ends of the slats overlap and lie against the front edge of the bottom of the frame, thereby preventing the door from being pushed inwardly. It is preferred to have a slatted door rather than a blind door for the exit, for the reason that the slatted door admits light, so as to guide the hen to the exitopening. As hereinbefore indicated, it is proposed to control the entrance-door by the exit-door, and to accomplish this result there is provided a push-rod 17, which is connected.

IOO

to the top of the exit-door by means of a pivot pin 18 passing through the upper ends of adjacent slats, there being a suitable guide 18 secured to the under side of the front top member 6 for the support of the rear portion of the push-rod, said guide preferably being in the nature of a cross-bar to form an intermediate brace for the frame of the device and having an opening therethrough for the reception of the push-rod. The tiltable door 10 is of course mounted within the walls of the nest-box and is projected below the front top member G and in the path of the rear end of the push-rod, whereby when a hen passes out of the device and leaves the slatted exitdoor the push-rod will be moved rearwardly in an endwise direction into contact with the lower end of the tiltable entrance-door,which is thereby tilted into its open position, the exit-door returning to its original position after the exit of a hen without affecting the entrance-door.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the exit-door is always closed and can be opened by a hen from the interior of the box only, while the entrance-door is open when the box is not occupied and closed when it is occupied, whereby the hens may have convenient access to the nest-box when not occupied 5 but the box is effectually closed when occupied. When a hen leaves the box, the entrance-door is automatically reset to its open position, so as to permit of the entrance of another hen.

While the form of hen's nest just described is effective for the purpose designed, I have embodied my invention in a simpler and preferred form, (shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings,) the chief difference between the two forms residing in the omission of the pushrod 17. This preferred form includes a housing comprising a bottom 19, upstanding sides 20, which are connected across the forward portions of their upper edges by a horizontal top portion 21, the rear edge portions of the sides being inclined downwardly and rearwardly and connected by an inclined top portion 22. The rear end of the housing is closed by a back 23, while the front end is open from top to bottom and is controlled by means of the upper entrance-door 24 and the lower exit-door 25. The entrance-door is mounted to tilt vertically upon a hinge formed by a rack-bar 26, which is rigidly secured to the front of the door by suitable fastenings 27- such, for instance, as staples-the ends of the rock-bar piercing the sides of the housing for its tiltable support. A ledge 28 extends across the under side of the top portion 21 within the entrance-doorway, so as to constitute a stop to limit inward movement of the door. A cleat or cross-bar 29 extends across the front of the housing below and adjacent the rock-bar, so as to form a support for the entrance-door when open. The exitdoor consists of a cross-bar 30, carrying upstanding slats 31, there being eyes or hingeknuckles 32 carried by the cross-bar and loosely receiving the rod 33, which pierces opposite sides of the housing and forms a support upon which the exit-door swings. Across the bottom ofthe doorway is a ledge 34, against which the lower ends of the slats 31 are designed to strike, and thereby be limited in their inward swing. When the nest is not occupied, the exit-door is closed and the entrancc-dooris open, as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, whereby the open entrance-door constitutes a platform upon which the hens may. alight prior to entering the nest. The weight of a hen upon the inner and lower end of the entrance-door is sufficient to tilt the latter toits closed position, whereby the housing is closed against the entrance of another hen so long asthe nest is occupied. When the henpasses out through the exit andflifts or tilts the exitdoor, the upper edge of said door, which overlaps the lower edge of the entrance-door, will swing inwardly against thev lower end` of the entrance-door, and thereby automatically tilt the latter to its open position, the exitdoor returning to its normally closed position bygravitation.

The advantages of the preferred form of my invention over that shown inFigs. 1 and 2 reside in reducing the size of the housing while maintaining an .adequate space within the housing for the nest and in mounting the entrance-door directly above the exit-door, thereby producing a space between the entrance and the nest-compartment, which is located between the back of the housing and the transverse partition 35, and thereby permitting of a hen alighting in said space rather than directly into the nest,n thereby obviating breakage of any eggs which may be in the nest.

Entrance may be had to the nest for removing eggs therefrom through an opening 36 in one side of the housing, which is normally closed by a door 37, pivoted at its-upper end upon the housing and capable of swinging across the opening.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A'hens nest comprising'a housingy having entrance and exit doors in one and the same side of the housing, the entrance-door being located above the exit-doory and controlled thereby.

2. A hens nest comprising .a housing having entrance and exit doors in one and the same side of the housing, the entrance-door being located above the exit-door and controlled thereby, both of the doors opening IIC outwardly, and the entrance-door constituting a platform upon which fowls may alight prior to entering the housing.

3. A hens nest having a vertically-tiltable entrance-door, and a vertically-tiltable exitdoor, said doors having overlapped portions with the overlapped portion of the entrancedoor located in the path of the overlapped portion of the exit-door to open the entrancedoor by an opening of the exit-door.

4. A hens nest having an upper verticallytiltable entrance-door supported near its lower end, and a vertically-tiltabie exit-door located below the entrance-door and having an intermediate hinged support7 the upper portion of the exit-door overlapping the lower portion of the entrance-door upon the outer side thereof to automatically open the entrance-door by an opening of the exit-door.

5. A hens nest having an open front, a cross-bar extending across an intermediate portion of the open front, a vertically-tiltable entrance-door pivotally supported intermediate of the top and bottom thereof1 at a point above the cross-bar, said cross-bar constituting a support for the entrance-door in its open position, and a Vertically-tiltable exit-door pivotally supported intermediate of its top and bottom below the cross-bar with the upper end of the exit-door overlapping the lower end of the entrance-door and capable of contact therewith during an opening of the exitdoor to automatically open the entrancedoor.

6. A hens nest comprising a housing having an intermediate partition terminating short of the top of the housing to divide the latter into a front compartment and a rear nest-compartment, an upper vertically-tiltable entrance-door at the front of the housing and a lower vertically-tiltabie exit-door disposed beneath the entrance-door and controlling the latter to open the same by an opening of the exit-door.

7. A hens nest comprising a housing having an open front, an intermediate transverse partition terminated short of the top of the housing and dividing the latter into a front compartment and a rear nest-compartment, the nest-compartment being provided with a door-controlled opening to give access thereto, a transverse ledge within the bottom of the open front and another transverse ledge within the top of said open front, a cross-bar extending across an intermediate portion of the open front, an upper vertically-tiltable entrance-door hinged intermediately upon the housing above the cross-bar and projected below the latter at the inner side thereof, the upper ledge constituting a stop to limit inward movement of the door and the crossbar forming a support for the door in the open position thereof, and an exit-door hinged intermediately within the lower portion of the open front with its top overlapping the front side of the lower end of the entrance-door, the lower ledge forming a stop to limit the inward swing of the exit-door.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own l have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT L. STOUT.

Witnesses:

JACOB SMITH, E. LEE ADAMS. 

